Railroad signaling apparatus



(ModeL) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. vH. ELY, Jr.

Railroads No. 235l,755.

ignaling Apparatus.

Patented Dec. 21, I880.

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Nrrni) STATES PATENT Enron.

HORATIO ELY, JR, OF RED BANK, NEW JERSEY.

RAILROAD SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,755, dated December 21, 1880.

Application filed July 20,1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, HORATIO ELY, Jr., of Red Bank, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and Improved Railroad Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to prevent accidents at points where railroads are intersected by roadways and at railroad-curves.

The invention consists of series of self-adjusting rocking bars or rods secured below the railroad-rails parallel with the cross-ties, which bars or rods are provided with arms projecting upward on the outside of the rails in position to be struck by advancing trains, whereby motion is transmitted along connectingwires or rods to operate signals or guards in advance of the trains.

Figure 1 is a plan of a section of a railroadtrack with the device attached. Fig. 2 is a view of the device after being operated to danger, and before the last operating-arm has been met by the cars to reverse the signals, the normal position of the intermediate or reversing arms being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. at is a crossseetion on line 3 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a crosssection on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional elevation on line 1: c Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

1n the drawings, AA denote the cross-ties,

g and B B the rails.

A suitable distance on each side of the signals, hereinafter described, rocking rods G O are transversely arranged under the rails, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said rods being supported by boxes 0 O, fastened to the top of two cross-ties and arranged on the outside of the rails, as plainly shown in Fig. 1. Each rod 0 Gcarries keyed upon it, toward either,

end and close against the inside of the rails B B, the wheels or sheaves D D, while the arms E E,'arranged between the rails 13 and the boxes 0, project upwardat right angles from the outer ends of the said rods 0 O, and the arms E E project downward in an opposite direction, and have weights E E suspended from their ends on cords or wires to a, which weights E E serve to restore the rods 0 G and their arms E E to their primary position after they shall have been moved bya passing train. Toward the center of the said section of railroad, shown by drawings,) and at suitable distances apart and from the rods 0 O and their direct attachments, are two other transverse rocking rods, F F, laid beneath the rails B B, and having their ends suitably supported. In this instance the ends of said rods F F are j ournaled in the ends of the upright gate-posts K K on one side of the track and in the ends of the signal-posts L L on the other side of the track.

On each rod F F, just inside the rails B B, are keyed the sheaves or wheels F F, that correspond with the wheels or sheaves D D on the rods 0 O, and are connected therewith by the ropes or chains 1) b, that pass over the tops of the cross-ties A A, and are guided in the anti-friction rollers c c, which latter are secured on the edges of the sleepers A A that are nearest to the said sheavesD F. Said ropes or chains 12 b have their ends made fast in the upper edges of the sheaves D F, and are then passed in opposite directions around and under the sheaves D F. On the outer ends of these rods F F, close to'the rails B, are keyed the sheaves G G, the sheaves G G on the one rod F being connected with the sheaves G G on the other rod F by means of crossed ropes or chains G G on either side of the railroadtrack, by which means the motion of one rod F is made to rotate the other rod Fin a contrary direction.

Outside of the sheaves G G the loose sheaves H H, provided with slotted collars d d, are set on the rods F F, and are provided with projecting arms ff, while attached to the peripheries of said sheaves H H by cords or chains 9 g are the weights H H, that hang down in suitable pocket-s, h h, and serve to assist in bolding the arms in a vertical position, as will be fully understood farther on.

The studs of the rods F F project at right angles into the slot 1 of the loose sheave-collar d, and serve as a bearing-point for the arms f, whereby, when an arm, f, is pressed down on the stud k (in the direction of the arrow, Fig.

6) by a passing train, this rod F, by reason of the stud being rigidly held thereby, is partially rotated, and the other rod F turned by means of the connecting ropes or chains G G in a'contrary direction. This contrary movement of the rods F is had by passing said ropes or chains from the top of one sheave down under the otherthat is to say, crossing them, as shown in Fig. 2. The pins to w, projecting horizontally from the sheaves H and in rear of the arm f, serve, with the weigh ts H and studs of the rod F, to yieldingly hold the arm f, as will be seen farther on.

On the ends of the rods F F that extend beneath and beyond the signal-posts L L are the cranks I I, pointing in opposite directions from each other, and the end of each crank I I is connected by a rod, m, with a semaphoresignal, M, that is pivoted in the corresponding post L, so that as each rod F is rotated it causes the connected semaphore M to be displayed or closed, as the case may be. These semaphore-signals M are, as shown in the drawings, arranged to operate in the same longitudinal plane or direction of the track, which, in the drawings, for simplicity of illustration, is shown straight.

The semaphore-signals M are designed to be used with this apparatus on railroad-curves, so that when two trains are approaching each other from opposite directions the engineer on each one shall be notified of the approach of the other by said signals M, though the trains themselves may be hidden from each. others view. Said semaphore-signals may, when desired, be arranged across the track. The parallel arrangement with the track (shown by drawings) is particularly designed to be used in mountainous and other country where curves forming a large segment of a circle are necessary, and in which case, when first seen, said signals will present more or less of a face or side View to the engineer of the approaching train.

The guard S, designed to be placed at the crossing of a railroad and a highway, consists of the gate-posts K K, that are stayed at their tops by the braces 11. n, and of the tilting rods or levers O O, that are pivoted on the sides of the posts K K near the tops thereof, so that their longer arms shall reach toward each other and meet when in a position midway between said posts K K, while their shorter arms are connected by rods N N with the cranks N N on the ends of the rods F F, and, further, on the tilting rods or levers O O- are suspended pendants P P, that are connected at their tops by cords q q, so that when said cranks N N are turned in one direction the tilting rods or levers O O are inclined downward, as shown in Fig. 2, permitting the pendants P P to slide down thereon, as shown, and offer sufficient obstruction to passage through the gate, while when the rods F F are rotated in the opposite direction the rods or levers O O assume a position parallel with the braces n a, so that the pendants P P slide or fold on either side toward the posts K K, and thereby leave the roadway open.

It is designed to arrange the rods 0 O at sufficient distances apart and from the semaphore-signals M to enable a train to come to a full stop between a rod, 0, and the nearest signal M, so that there may be no danger of collisions between trains moving toward each other from opposite directions.

The arms E E are at their normal position when projecting vertically, and the arms f f in like position when inclined in opposite directions, (indicated by d'ottedlines,) all as shown in Fig. 2 of drawings.

A train approaching in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, by a suitable projection therefrom, strikes the first arm, E, thereby partially rotating its rod O. As soon as the train passes over this arm E the weight E draws it back to its normal or first position. At the time the train strikes the said arm E the first rod F, through the sheave O, cord or chain 7), and sheave F, is also turned, which in turn, through the crossed cord or chain G G, and at the same time, causes the other or last rod F to rotate in an opposite direction, which has elevated the two sets of arms ff to a vertical position, as shown in full lines, Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and at the same time the semaphore-signals M M are reversed, denoting danger to approaching trains around the corner and not in sight of each other. The guard S is at the same time also operated. The levers O O being in their normal position,with the pendants P bunched or together, they are, through the rods N N, extending from the cranks N N, thrown down in an inclined position, thus allowing said pendants to slide down thereon and offer sufficient obstruction to passage through the gate. All of this, be it understood, takes place before the train meets the first or nearest arms f, against which it strikes, but having no effect to change the above-described position of the signals. This is obvious, as the said arms rest against pins to of the pulleys H, which are loosely arranged on the rods F. After the train passes over these arms the weight H, connected with said arms, restores them to their normal position. On the advance of the train it strikes the other arms j, which are impeded in their downward movement by the stud k, rigidly secured to the rod F, which turns the said rod F, and thus reverses the semaphore-signals, as well as adjusts the levers 0 up to an inclined position parallel with the braces n n, which allows the pendants to slide down together and be bunched. The train, on striking the last arm E, has no effect to change the assumed position of the semaphore-signals M or the guard S.

A train approaching in the opposite direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, operates the signals, as above described, with the train travelingin the direction of the arrow.

On the train striking the levers or rods E the semaphore farthest therefrom will be immediately operated to danger, and on the train passing overrthe arms f farthest from said rods the semaphore previously operated to dan ger will be set to safety, and the semaphore nearest to the said rods will be operated to danger, and remain so until again operated by a passing train.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Arailroad signalingapparatus constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of rocking rods 0 0, provided with sheaves D D and arms E E and attach ed weights E E, rocking rods F F, provided with studs k, sheaves F G, loose sheaves H H, provided with pins 10 and arms ff, slotted collars d (1, connecting ropes or chains 1) G, Weights H, cranks I I, rods m, and signals M, as set forth.

2. In a railroad signaling apparatus, the combination, with the rocking rods (3 0, provided with sheaves 1), arms E, and attached weights E, of the ropes or chains 12, rocking rods F, provided with studs k, sheaves F G, and loose sheaves H, provided with slotted collars 01, pins 10, and arms f, and weights H, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a railroad signaling apparatus, the combination, with the rocking rod F, provided with studs 70, of the sheaves F G, loose sheaves H, provided with pins 20, slotted collars d, and

HORATIO ELY, JR.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. J oHNsoN, WM. H. HUBBARD. 

